Helpline 1099 Addressed 6447 Cases Of Women, 140 Of Children: Dr Shireen Mazari

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Helpline 1099 addressed 6447 cases of women, 140 of children: Dr Shireen Mazari

Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen M Mazari Monday said toll free Helpline for Legal Advice on Human Rights Violations since addressed 6447 cases of women and 140 cases of children related issues from January 2016 to December 2018

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Jan, 2019 ) :Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen M Mazari Monday said toll free Helpline for Legal Advice on Human Rights Violations since addressed 6447 cases of women and 140 cases of children related issues from January 2016 to December 2018.

She mentioned that the Helpline (1099) provided referral services to address grievances of the victims with special focus on women and children related issues.

The government was committed to ensure protection and promotion of human rights with special focus on rights of women and children, she added.

In a written reply to the question of Nusrat Wahid in National Assembly, she maintained that the enforcement of laws on women and children was basically the responsibility of police department under the Ministry of Interior and provincial home departments.

However, the steps taken by the ministry of Human Rights for enactment of laws and protection of women and children rights included that under the legal policy reform, the Action Plan on Human Rights provides for the specific interventions to ensure protection of women and child rights, she added.

Highlighting the major laws promulgated since 2016, she said Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offences relating to Honor Killing) Act 2016, the Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offences relating to Rape) Act 2016, Hindu Marriage Act, 2017: the first personal law to regulate Hindu marriages, has been promulgated to register marriages and prohibit marriage of minors by prescribing the minimum age of eighteen years.

The laws on human rights also included the women in Distress and Detention Fund (Amendment) Act, 2018 to operationalize the Fund for women in distress and detention, National Commission on the Rights of the Child Act, 2017 promulgated (The Commission will examine existing laws relating to child and propose new legislations related to child rights including girl child).

The ICT Child Protection Act, 2018 and the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018 were among the other laws disseminated since 2016.

National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) had been established with a broad mandate and powers to take suo-moto actions. The Ministry of Human Rights has also notified the NCHR Complaint Rules which comprehensively elaborate the procedure regarding evaluating and disposing of complaints of Human Rights, including the Rights of Women.

Since 2016 to 2018, total 97 cases of Children and 324 women related issues were addressed by NCHR, it added.

The on paper answer of the human rights minister mentioned that National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) was working for protection of rights of women.

The NCSW was mandated to carryout activities to combat Violence Against Women, which include Media Campaign for Awareness on Pro-Women Laws; 16 days of Activism and an Advocacy Campaign to End Violence Against Women.

Family Protection and Rehabilitation Centre for Women is working in Islamabad to provide protection and legal assistance as well as psycho-socialsupport to the women and children victims of violence. Total 388 cases wereregistered during 2016-2018, the answer said.